Church Terminology

Absolution: Act by which a priest, acting as the agent of Christ, grants forgiveness of sins in the Sacrament of Penance.

Acolytes: One who assists in the celebration (i.e., carrying candles,crucifer, etc.).

Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament: Prayer to Christ, who is recognized as being truly present in the Sacrament, which is displayed for the people.

Adoration: Refers to the external acts of reverent admiration or honor given to a thing or person.

Alb: The white garment covering one's street dress.

Alleluia Acclamation: This acclamation of praise to God follows the second reading and serves to prepare the assembly for the Gospel.

Altar: The word "altar", in Greek, appears twenty-four times in the New Testament. Significantly, Hebrews 13:10, shows Christians having an altar of which those who did not believe in Jesus could not partake, a reference to the eternal, once-for-all sacrifice of Jesus Christ, thus fulfilling the sacrificial laws of the Old Testament. In the Episcopal Church, the table upon which the Eucharistic meal (the Bread and the Wine) is eaten is called an altar.

Ambo: The place where the Scriptures are proclaimed. Avoid: Pulpit

Amen: 1) Hebrew word meaning truly, it is true. As concluding word of prayers it expressed assent to and acceptance of God's will; 2) called the great Amen, it is the acclamation by the people expressing their agreement with all that has been said and done in the Eucharistic prayer.

Annul: Properly called the degree of nullity, this is the declaration by authorities that a marriage is null and void, because it was never valid.

Apostle - Apostolic - Disciple: Literally "one sent." Normally this refers to the 12 men chosen by Christ, to be the bearers of his teachings to the world. Term apostolic generally refers back to the 12 apostles. In the Church it characterizes certain documents, appointments or structures initiated by the pope or the Holy See. Disciple is one who follows the teachings of Jesus.

Apostolate: The ministry or work of an apostle..

Archbishop: Title given automatically to bishops who govern archdioceses.

Archdiocese: The chief diocese of an ecclesiastical province.

Ash Wednesday: In the calendar of Western Christianity, is the first day of Lent and occurs 46 days before Easter. It is a moveable fast, falling on a different date each year because it is dependent on the date of Easter. It can occur as early as February 4 or as late as March 10.

According to the canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, Jesus spent forty days fasting in the desert before the beginning of his public ministry, during which he endured temptation by Satan. Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of this forty day liturgical period of prayer and fasting.

Ash Wednesday derives its name from the practice of placing ashes on the foreheads of adherents as a sign of mourning and repentance to God. The ashes used are typically gathered after the palms from the previous year's Palm Sunday are burned on the day before.

Aspergillum: A vessel or device used for sprinkling holy water. The ordinary type is a metallic rod with a bulbous tip which absorbs the water and discharges it at the motion of the user's hand.

Assembly: Those present to celebrate the liturgy. Other terms: to use: "The Community," "The Church (as people not building)," "The Worshipers," "The Faithful," or "the congregation." Avoid: Spectators, Crowd Audience--all passive words which do not reflect what those present do.

B

Basilica: A church to which special privileges are attached. It is a title of honor given to various kinds of Churches.

Bishops: The chief priest of a diocese. Bishops are responsible for the pastoral care of their dioceses. In addition, bishops have a responsibility to act in council with other bishops to guide the Church.

Blessed Sacrament: The Eucharist, the Body and Blood of Christ, whether at the Mass or reserved in a special place in the Church (put this after Liturgy of the Eucharist)

Book of Gospels: The book which contains the Gospel texts, from which the priests or deacon proclaims the Gospel of the day.

Bread and Wine: The elements used in the celebration of Eucharist (unleavened bread and natural pure wine).

Breaking of the Bread: The celebrant recreates gestures of Christ at the Last Supper when He broke the bread to give to His disciples. The action signifies that in communion we who are many are made one in the one Bread of Life which is Christ

Brother: A man who is a member of a religious order, but is not ordained or studying for the priesthood.

C

Canon Law: The codified body of general laws governing the Church.

Canon: Greek for rule, norm, standard, measure. Designates the Canon of Sacred Scripture, the list of books recognized by the Church as inspired by the Holy Spirit.

Canonization: A declaration by the pope that a person who died a martyr or practiced Christian virtue to a heroic degree is in heaven and is worthy of honor and imitation by the faithful. Verification of miracles is required for canonization (except for martyrs).

Cassock: A non-liturgical, full-length, close-fitting robe for use by priests and other clerics under liturgical vestments; usually black for priests, purple for bishops and other prelates, red for cardinals, white for the Pope.

Catechesis: Religious instruction and formation for persons preparing for baptism (catechumens) and for the faithful in various stages of spiritual development.

Catechetical: Referring to catechesis.

Cathedral: A cathedral (French cathédrale from Lat. cathedra, "seat" from the Greek kathedra (καθέδρα), seat, bench, from kata "down" + hedra seat, base, chair) is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop. It is a religious building for worship, specifically of a denomination with an episcopal hierarchy, such as the Roman Catholic, Anglican, Orthodox, and some Lutheran and Methodist churches, which serves as a bishop's seat, and thus as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate.

Chalice: A chalice is a drinking cup with a bowl, a single stem, and a foot. The stem usually has a knob to make it easier to grasp. Chalices are generally made of silver, gold, or ceramics. The chalice can be used two ways in the Eucharist. Either everyone drinks from it, in which case it is called taking Communion from a common cup, or worshippers dip the bread into the cup, in which case it is called Communion by intinction. (Intinction is just a fancy word for dipping.) If the common cup is used, the server wipes the cup with a napkin and rotates it for each communicant. I am not aware of any documented cases of disease being spread by the common cup.

Collect: A collect (pronounced CALL-ect) is a short prayer that summarizes a foregoing series of prayers or a worship service. A collect is usually one sentence long and consists of three parts: an invocation, a petition, and a doxology. The following is an example of a simple collect:

O God, who gave your only Son to die for our sins, give us grateful hearts to live worthily before you; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord. AMEN.

Cross (sign of the cross): The sign of the cross is a pious gesture that must have originated in the first century, because it was a widespread practice in the second century. It is not a late innovation of the Roman Catholic Church, as many people imagine. It may be that early bishops applied chrism (anointing oil) by tracing a cross on the person’s forehead, and the gesture originated when people wanted to reaffirm their anointing afterwards by using their right thumb to trace the sign of the cross on their forehead. The gesture quickly developed into its modern form, where the right hand moves from the forehead to the chest, then from shoulder to shoulder. Eastern Christians cross themselves right to left, and Western Christians cross themselves left to right. It is customary to cross oneself at the beginning and ending of prayer (at the words “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” ), before receiving Communion, and at certain points in the liturgy. It is common for the clergy to make the sign of the cross over the elements of the Eucharist as they are being consecrated and over people and objects as they are being blessed. I always make the sign of the cross over the congregation when I bless them in the benediction at the end of the service. The sign of the cross is also helpful at times when you are moved to pray but at a loss for words.

Crossing Yourself Western Style

This style is used by Anglicans, Lutherans, and Roman Catholics:

Touch your forehead

Touch the base of your sternum

Touch the left side of your chest

Touch the right side of your chest

As you cross yourself, say, whisper, or think: “In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”

The Symbolism

The movement traces a cross over your body. By crossing yourself, you are taking up your cross and following Jesus.

The three fingers represent the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; the two fingers folded down represent the human and divine natures of Jesus Christ.

In the western style, the movement from the left to the right represents Jesus’ descent into hades (the left side) and His ascension into Heaven (the right side).

Crozier: The traditional explanation for the form of Western crosiers, beyond the obvious reference to the bishop as a shepherd to his flock, is this: the pointed ferrule at the base symbolizes the obligation of the prelate to goad the spiritually lazy; the crook at the top, his obligation to draw back those who stray from the faith; and the staff itself his obligation to stand as a firm support for the faithful.It is considered to be both a rod and a staff (Psalm 23:4): a rod for punishing the recalcitrant, and a staff for leading the faithful.

Crucifer: A crucifer is, in some Christian churches (particularly the Roman Catholic Church, Anglican Communion, and Lutherans), a person appointed to carry the church's processional cross, a cross or crucifix with a long staff, during processions at the beginning and end of the service. However, while it is used in several different denominations, the term is most common within Anglican churches.

D

Dalmatic: The vestment the deacon wears over the alb on solemn occasions.

Deacon: An ordained minister who assists the Celebrant at the Liturgy of the Word and at the altar for the Liturgy of the Eucharist.

Deacons/diaconate: The diaconate is the first order or grade in ordained ministry. Any one who is to be ordained to the priesthood must first be ordained as a transitional deacon. Deacons serve in the ministry of liturgy, of the word, and of charity. The Permanent Diaconate is for men who do not plan to become ordained priests. The program is open to both married and unmarried men.

Dean/Vicar: The title of a priest appointed by the bishop to aid him in administering the parishes in certain vicinity, called a "deanery." The function of a dean involves promotion, coordination, and supervision of the common pastoral activity within the deanery or vicariate.

Diocesan Curia: The personnel and offices assisting the bishop in directing the pastoral activity, administration and exercise of judicial power of the diocese.

Diocese: A particular church; a fully organized ecclesiastical jurisdiction under the pastoral direction of a bishop as local Ordinary. In the Roman Empire, the diocese was a unit of local government, like a county in England or Virginia, a borough in Alaska, a parish in Louisiana, or a Landkreis in Germany. One of the ancient ecumenical councils of the Church resolved to follow the political boundaries of the Roman Empire in setting up church jurisdictions; therefore the term diocese has come to mean the territory of a bishop’s jurisdiction. Modern churches also generally follow political boundaries when they set up ecclesiastical regions, even if they don’t call them dioceses. In Orthodoxy, a diocese is called an eparchy.

Dispensation: An exemption from Church law.

Doxology: The response of the people acclaiming the sovereignty of God.

E

Easter: is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday (also Resurrection Day or Resurrection Sunday). Easter marks the end of Lent, a forty-day period of fasting, prayer, and penance. The last week of the Lent is called Holy Week, and it contains Good Friday, commemorating the crucifixion and death of Jesus. Easter is followed by a fifty-day period called Eastertide or the Easter Season, ending with Pentecost Sunday.

Ecclesial: Having to do with the church in general or the life of the church

Ecclesiastical: Refers to official structures or legal and organizational aspects of the church.

Ecumenism /Interdenominational/ Ecumenical Movement: A movement for spiritual understanding and unity among Christians and their churches. The term is also extended to apply to efforts toward greater understanding and cooperation between Christians and members of other faiths.

Entrance procession: Priest, deacon, altar servers, lectors, enter the church or designated place for celebration of the liturgy.

Entrance song/music: The song/music which takes place during the entrance procession.

Episcopal: Refers to a bishop or groups of bishops as a form of church government, in which bishops have authority.

Eschatology: Doctrine concerning the last things: death, judgment, heaven and hell, and the final state of perfection of the people and the kingdom of God at the end of the world.

Eucharist: The word Eucharist is Greek and means no more and no less than Thanksgiving. It is the ancient and original term for the sharing of bread and wine in a church service. The theological significance is that the Eucharistic feast is a great thanksgiving to God for our redemption through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. The term Eucharist is used by churches with differing views on the nature of the Communion elements.

Eucharistic Prayer: The prayer of thanksgiving and sanctification. It is the center and high pointfor the entire celebration.

Evangelical: Refers to Christians who emphasize the need for a definite commitment to faith in Christ and a duty by believers to persuade others to accept Christ.

Evangelist: A preacher or revivalist who seeks conversions by preaching to groups.

Excommunication: A penalty of censure by which a baptized person is excluded from the communion of the faithful for committing and remaining obstinate in certain serious offenses specified in canon law. Even though excommunicated, a person still is responsible for fulfillment of the normal obligations of a Catholic.

F

Final Doxology: A final prayer of praise of God.

Free Will: The faculty or capability of making a reasonable choice among several alternatives.

G

General Intercessions: A prayer of intercession for all of humankind; for the Church, civil authorities, those in various needs, for all peoples, and for the salvation of the world. The celebrant invites all to pray, another minister announces the petitions and the community responds.

Gloria: Ancient hymn of praise in which the Church prays to the Father. It is used on all Sundays (outside of Advent and Lent), and at solemn celebrations.

God: The infinitely perfect Supreme Being, uncaused and absolutely self-sufficient, eternal, the Creator and final end of all things. The one God subsists in three equal Persons, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Good Friday: (from the senses pious, holy of the word "good") is a religious holiday observed primarily by Christians commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his death at Calvary.

Grace: A free gift of God to human beings, grace is a created sharing in the life of God. It is given through the merits of Christ and is communicated by the Holy Spirit. It is necessary for salvation.

Greeting: The celebrant greets all present at the liturgy, expressing the presence of the Lord to the assembled community.

H

Hierarchy: In general, the term refers to the ordered body of clergy, divided into bishops, priests, and deacons.

Holy, Holy, Holy: The response of the community to the preface and a continuation of the general theme of praise and thanks.

Holy Name Society: A lay organization which seeks to aid its members in living a genuinely Christian life. The society organizes retreats and other spiritual and devotional exercises.

Holy Communion: After saying a preparatory prayer, the celebrant (or other designated ministers) gives communion (the consecrated bread and wine) to himself and the other ministers at the altar, and then communion is distributed to the congregation.

Homily: The homily (sermon) is a reflection by the celebrant or other ministers on the Scripture readings and the application of the texts to the assembled community.

I

IHS: In Greek, the first three letters of the name of Jesus.

Incense: Incense (material used to produce a fragrant odor when burned) is used as a symbol of the Church's offering and prayer going up to God.

Indulgence: The remission before God of the temporal punishment due for sins already forgiven.

Intercessions: A series of prayers for the Church, the world, the Pope, clergy and laity, and the dead.

Intercommunion: The agreement or practice of two Ecclesial communities by which each admits members of the other communion to its sacraments.

J

Jesus: The name of Jesus, meaning Savior in Christian usage, derived from the Aramaic and Hebrew Yeshua and Joshua, meaning Yahweh is salvation.

K

Keys, Power of the: Spiritual authority and jurisdiction in the Church, symbolized by the keys of the kingdom of heaven, Christ promised the keys to St. Peter and head-to-be of the Church.

L

Laicization: The process by which a man ordained is relieved of his obligations and is returned to the status of a lay person.

Lamb of God: An invocation during the breaking of the bread in which the assembly petitions for mercy and peace.

Lay ministries: These are ministries within the church that are carried out by laypersons. Included are altar servers, Eucharistic minister and lectors.

Layman, woman, person: Any church member who is neither ordained nor a member of a religious order. When the Second Vatican Council spoke of the laity, it used the term in this more common meaning.

Leader of Song: The person who leads the community/assembly in the music they sing.

Lectionary: The book that contains all the readings from the Scriptures for use in the celebration of the liturgy.

Lent: Is also known as Quadragesima (Latin: Forty) is the Christian observance of the liturgical year from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday. The traditional purpose of Lent is the penitential preparation of the believer – through prayer, penance, repentance, almsgiving and self-denial. Its institutional purpose is heightened in the annual commemoration of Holy Week, marking the Death and Resurrection of Jesus, which recalls the events of the Passion of Christ on Good Friday which then culminates in Easter Sunday, marking the celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Liturgical Colors: Colors used in vestments and altar coverings to denote special times in the Church. Green is used in ordinary times, red denotes feasts of martyrs or the Holy Spirit, purple denotes penitential times and white is used for joyful occasions including Christmas, Easter and some saints' days.

Liturgy: The public prayer of the Church.

Liturgy of the Word: That section of the celebration where the Scriptures are proclaimed and reflected upon. On Sundays and major feasts, there are three readings:

Old Testament selection

New Testament selection (from the Epistles)

The Gospel reading

Liturgy of the Hours: This is the preferred term in the Latin rite for the official liturgical prayers sanctifying the parts of each day.

Liturgy of the Eucharist: The section of the celebration when the gifts are prepared and the Eucharistic Prayer is proclaimed by the celebrant.

Lord's Prayer: The prayer of petition for both daily food (which for Christians means also the Eucharistic bread) and the forgiveness of sins.

M

Mardi Gras: "Mardi Gras season", and "Carnival season" in English, refer to events of the Carnival celebrations, beginning on or after Epiphany and culminating on the day before Ash Wednesday. Mardi gras is French for Fat Tuesday, referring to the practice of the last night of eating richer, fatty foods before the ritual fasting of the Lenten season, which begins on Ash Wednesday; in English the day is sometimes referred to as Shrove Tuesday, from the word shrive, meaning "confess.”

Mass: The common name for the Eucharistic liturgy of the Catholic Church.Synonyms: Eucharist, Celebration of the Liturgy, Eucharistic celebration, Sacrifice of the Mass, Lord's Supper.

Master of Ceremonies: One who assisted in the preparation of the celebration and is present during it to facilitate the movement of the entire rite.

Matrimony: The Roman, Orthodox and Old Catholic churches consider matrimony a sacrament, referred to as the Sacrament of Matrimony. This is a marriage contract between baptized persons.

Metropolitan: The archbishop of an archdiocese in a province. He has limited supervisory powers and influence over the other dioceses and bishops in the province.

Minister: From the Latin word for "servant," in the ecclesiastical sense a minister is (1) an ordained cleric or (2) one who has the authority to minister to others.

Ministers of Communion: Those who assist in the distribution of communion.

Miracles, apparitions: Generally miracle is used to refer to physical phenomena that defy natural explanation, such as medically unexplainable cures. An apparition is a supernatural manifestation of God, an angel or a saint to an individual or a group of individuals.

Mitre: A mitre is a distinctive hat worn by a bishop. The word mitre comes from the Greek word mitra (μιτρα), which means headband. In the ancient Church, bishops were generally elderly men who needed a hat to keep their heads warm. Today the mitre is symbolic of the bishop’s office and it generally matches the bishop’s cope.

Monastery: An autonomous community house of a religious order, which may or may not be a monastic order. The term is used more specifically to refer to a community house of men or women religious in which they lead a contemplative life separate from the world.

Monk - Friar: A man who belongs to one of the monastic orders in the church, such as Basilians, Benedictines, Cistercians and Carthusians.

Monsignor: An honorary ecclesiastical title granted by the Pope to some diocesan priests. In the United States, the title is given to the vicar general of a diocese. In Europe, the title is also given to bishops.

Mortification: Acts of self-discipline, including prayer, hardship, austerities and penances undertaken for the sake of progress in virtue.

N

Nave: A nave is the middle or body of a church.

Narthex: The narthex of a church is the entrance or lobby area, located at the end of the nave, at the far end from the church's main altar. Traditionally the narthex was a part of the church building, but was not considered part of the church proper. It was either an indoor area separated from the nave by a screen or rail, or an external structure such as a porch.

Neckband Shirt: A neckband shirt is a clerical, not a vestment. It is a type of shirt (or blouse, for female clergy) that has no collar, just has a thin band of cloth around the neck; hence the name. The shirt has a fly front; that is, a flap of cloth that covers the buttons that go down the front. Where you would expect to find a top button—the one you’d fasten before putting on a necktie—the neckband has two buttonholes that line up. There is also another button hole in the neckband in the center of the back.

The wearer puts on the shirt, and then sticks a collar stud through the button hole in the back of the neckband, then another collar stud through the buttonholes in the front to fasten the two ends of the neckband together under the throat. The white plastic collar has three small holes in it; one in the middle and one at each end. The wearer slips the center of the collar over the collar stud in the front, then wraps the two ends around the back and slips them over the collar stud in the back. The end effect is a circular collar that goes completely around the neck. Clergy shirts are Protestant in origin. Neckband shirts come in all colors and fabrics, but the general public often does not immediately perceive them as clergy shirts if they are not black.

O

Offertory Song: Music used during the procession of gifts to the celebrant and as the altar is prepared.

Opening prayer: This prayer by the celebrant expresses the general theme of the celebration.

Opus Dei: A personal prelature dedicated to spreading through society an awareness of the call to Christian virtue, awareness, and witness in one's life and work. Members are not of a religious order, do not take vows, but sometimes live in community.

Ordain - Ordination: The proper terms in Catholic usage for references to the conferral of the sacrament of holy orders on a deacon, priest or bishop.

Order, Congregation, Society: Religious orders are a title loosely applied to all religious groups of men and women. A society is a body of clerics, regular or secular, organized the purpose of performing an apostolic work. Congregation is any group bound together by common rules.

Ordinary: Diocesan bishops, religious superiors, and certain other diocesan authorities with jurisdiction over the clergy in a specific geographical area, or the members of a religious order.

Ordination/Ordain: The sacramental rite by which a "sacred order" is conferred (diaconate, priesthood, episcopacy).

P

Parish Coordinator: A deacon, religious, or lay person who is responsible for the pastoral care of parish. The parish coordinator is in charge of the day-to-day life of the parish in the areas of worship, education, pastoral service and administration.

Parish: A specific community of the Christian Faithful within a diocese, which has its own church building, under the authority of a pastor who is responsible for providing them with ministerial service. Most parishes are formed on a geographic basis, but they may be formed along national or ethnic lines.

Pastor: A priest in charge of a parish or congregation. He is responsible for administering the sacraments, instructing the congregation in the doctrine of the Church, and other services to the people of the parish.

Pastoral Associate: A member of the laity who is part of a parish ministry team.

Pastoral Council: A group of members of the parish who advise the pastor on parish matters.

Paten: The plate used to hold the bread.

Pectoral Cross: A cross worn on a chain about the neck of bishops and abbots as a mark of office

Penitential Rite: A general acknowledgment by the entire assembly of sinfulness and the need for God's mercy.

Pontiff, Pontifical: is used as an alternative form of reference to the pope. Pontifical has to do with the pope.

Prayer after Communion: The final prayer by the celebrant in which he petitions that the sacrament be beneficial for all.

Prayer over the gifts: The prayer by the celebrant asking that the gifts to be offered be made holy and acceptable.

Prayer: The raising of the mind and heart to God in adoration, thanksgiving, reparation and petition. The official prayer of the Church as a worshiping community is called liturgy.

Preface dialogue: The introductory dialogue between the celebrant and assembly in which all are invited to join in prayer and thanksgiving to God.

Preparation of the Gifts: The time in the Mass when the bread and wine to be used in the celebration are brought to the celebrant, usually by representatives of the faithful.

Presbyterial Council: Also known as the priests' council, this is the principal consultative body mandated by the Code of Canon Law to advise the diocesan bishop in matters of pastoral governance. It consists of bishops and priests serving the diocese.

Primacy: Papal primacy refers to the pope's authority over the whole church.

Processional Cross: The cross carried in the processions.

Profession of Faith: The people together recall and proclaim the fundamental teachings of the faith. The Profession of Faith is used on all Sundays, and solemnities.

Proselytize: To bring one to another's viewpoint whether in religion or other areas.

Province: 1) A territory comprising one archdiocese called the metropolitan see and one or more dioceses called suffragan sees. The head of an archdiocese, an archbishop, has metropolitan rights and responsibilities over the province. 2) A division of a religious order under the jurisdiction of a provincial superior.

R

Reader: One who is called upon to proclaim the scriptures during the Liturgy of the Word.

Rector:Rector is the Anglican word for the elected pastor of a financially self-supporting congregation. The term derives from the fact that if there are multiple clergy on staff in a church, the pastor has primary responsibility for directing the worship. Historically in the Church of England, the terms “rector” and “vicar” had different meanings, but today the distinction lies in the history of the parish.

Relics: The physical remains and effects of saints, which are considered worthy of veneration inasmuch as they are representative of persons in glory with God.

Religion: The adoration and service of God as expressed in divine worship and in daily life.

Religious Movements: Groups of people, both lay and clerical, who band together to promote a certain belief or activity.

Religious Priest/Diocesan Priest: Religious priests are professed members of a religious order or institute. Religious clergy live according to the rule of their respective orders. In pastoral ministry, they are under the jurisdiction of their local bishop, as well as the superiors of their order. Diocesan, or secular, priests are under the direction of their local bishop. They commit to serving their congregations and other institutions.

Repentance: is a theological term that describes a stage in salvation where the believer turns away from sin.

Responsorial Psalm: After the first reading there is a psalm as a response to the reading. The response, repeated after verses, is sung by the assembly, while a cantor or choir sings the verses of the psalm.

Retreat: A period of time spent in meditation and religious exercise. Retreats may take various forms, from traditional closed forms, to open retreats which do not disengage the participants from day-to-day life. Both clergy and lay people of all ages participate in retreats. Houses and centers providing facilities for retreats are retreat houses.

Reverend: The term reverend is an adjective that simply indicates that a person is a member of the clergy. In theUnited States, it is abbreviated Rev; outside theUnited States, it is abbreviated Revd. If John Smith is a member of the clergy, you can refer to him in writing as The Rev. John Smith, or The Rev. Smith. If he has a doctorate degree, you can refer to him as The Rev. Dr. John Smith, or The Rev. Dr. Smith. When you are talking to him, you can address him as Reverend Smith, but it is usually considered impolite to call him just Reverend. If John Smith is clergy in another church, and you are unsure what to call him or you are uncomfortable with his customary title, call him Reverend Smith and no one will be offended. If, for example, you are a Protestant and you are speaking to a Roman Catholic priest who refers to himself as Father John, he will not be offended if you call him Reverend John, because it is actually correct. Nevertheless, most members of the clergy are humble and are not offended if you get their titles wrong.

When in doubt, refer to clergy as “Rev. So-and-so.” That way no one will think you are being disrespectful.

Roman Curia: The official collective name for the administrative agencies and courts, and their officials, who assist the Pope in governing the Church. Members are appointed and granted authority by the Pope.

Rome - diocese of: The City of Rome is the diocese of the pope, as the bishop of Rome.

S

Sanctuary: That part of the church where the altar is located.

Seminary: An educational institutional for men preparing for Holy Orders.

Serra Club: Local units of Serra International, an organization which promotes vocations to the priesthood and religious life, and offers instructions to lay leaders.

Shrine: Erected to encourage private devotions to a saint, it usually contains a picture, statue or other religious feature capable of inspiring devotions.

Shrove Tuesday: (also known as Pancake Day) is the day preceding Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. Pancakes are associated with the day preceding Lent because they were a way to use up rich foodstuffs such as eggs, milk, and sugar, before the fasting season of the 40 days of Lent. The liturgical fasting emphasized eating plainer food and refraining from food that would give pleasure: In many cultures, this means no meat, dairy, or eggs.

Sign of Peace: Before sharing the body of Christ the members of the community are invited to express their love and peace with one another.

Sign of the Cross: A sign, ceremonial gesture or movement in the form of a cross by which a person confesses faith in the Holy Trinity and Christ, and intercedes for the blessing of himself, other persons, and things.

Sister: Any woman religious, in popular speech, strictly, the title applies to those women Religious belonging to institutes whose members never professed solemn vows, most of which institutes were established during and since the 19th century.

Sodality: A group of laity, established for the promotion of Christian life and worship, or some other religious purpose.

St. Vincent de Paul Society: An organization of lay persons who serve the poor through spiritual and material works of mercy. The society operates stores, rehabilitation workshops, food centers, shelters, criminal justice and other programs.

Stations of the Cross: Also known as The Way of the Cross, this devotion to the suffering of Christ consist of prayers and meditations on fourteen occurrences experienced by Christ on His way to His crucifixion. Each of these occurrences is represented by a cross. This can be done individually, or in groups with one person leading the prayers and moving from cross to cross.

Stole: The vestment worn around the neck by all ordained ministers. For priests, bishops and Pope, it hangs down in front (under the chasuble); the deacons wear it over their left shoulder crossed and fastened at the right side.

Superior: The head of a religious order or congregation. He or she may be the head of a province, or an individual house.

Surplice: a loose, flowing vestment of white fabric with wide sleeves. For some functions it is interchangeable with an alb.

Synod: A gathering of designated officials and representatives of a church, with legislative and policymaking powers.

T

Tabernacle: Place in the church where the Eucharist or sacred species is reserved.

Theologate: An institution which provides the last four years of study for candidates for priesthood.

Theology: The study of God and religion, deriving from and based on the data of divine Revelation, organized and systematized according to some kind of scientific method.

Titular Sees: Dioceses where the Church once flourished but which later died out. Bishops without a territorial or residential diocese of their own, e.g., auxiliary bishops, are given titular sees.

Tribunal: A tribunal (court) is the name given to the person or persons who exercise the Church's judicial powers.

Transept: A transept (with 2 semi-transepts) is a transverse section, of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In Christian churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform ("cross-shaped") building in Romanesque and Gothic Christian church architecture. Each half of a transept is known as a semi-transept.

The transept of a church separates the nave from the sanctuary, whether apse, choir, chevet, presbytery or chancel. The transepts cross the nave at the crossing, which belongs equally to the main nave axis and to the transept.

U

unction:The act of anointing as part of a religious, ceremonial, or healing ritual.An ointment or oil; a salve.

V

Vespers: A portion of the Church's divine office recited each day by priests. Also called Evening Prayer.

Vestment: is the term for special clothing worn by the people who conduct a worship service. Vestments have their origin in the ordinary street clothes of the first century, but have more or less remained the same as clothing fashions have changed. (Most Bible translations are not consistent with the names of articles of clothing, and in some translations, people go around wearing ‘garments.’ The original text is consistent and more specific.)

Today, vestments are designed to be worn over street clothes and serve a number of practical purposes: they conceal the distractions of fashionable street clothing, they remove any consideration of what constitutes appropriate attire, and they remind the congregation that the ministers are not acting on their own, but performing in their official capacities. Vestments are in almost universal use, although in some churches only the choir wears vestments. Common vestments include albs, chasubles, robes, and surplices. People commonly think that cassocks are vestments, but they are really just old-fashioned street clothes that are worn under vestments.

Vestry: In the Anglican Communion, the vestry corresponds to the board of directors of a secular organization. The vestry elects the rector of the church and conducts its secular business. George Washington, the first president of theUnited States, was a member of the vestry of theFalls Church in the city of the same name inFairfax County,Virginia.

Vow: A promise made to God with sufficient knowledge and freedom, which has as its object a moral good that is possible and better than its voluntary omission.

W

Washing of hands: An expression of the desire for inward purification.

Witness, Christian: Practical testimony or evidence given by Christians of their faith in all circumstances of life--by prayer and general conduct, through good example and good works, etc., being and acting in accordance with Christian belief, actual practice of the Christian faith.